NASCAR driver Danica Patrick has brought a lot of attention to the sport over the years.However, there are some who are skeptical that Patrick will ever become a dominant driver. Count the son of NASCAR legend Richard Petty as one of them.On Thursday, former driver and current analyst Kyle Petty appeared on SPEED's NASCAR RaceHub program and called Patrick a "marketing machine" but not a race car driver."Danica has been the perfect example of somebody who can qualify better than what she runs," said Petty. "She can go fast, but she can't race. I think she's come a long way, but she's still not a race car driver. And I don't think she's ever going to be a race car driver."Interviewer Matt Clark then proceeded to ask Petty why he believes Patrick won't ever be a race car driver in his opinion. Petty argued that it was "too late to learn."Whoa. Those are some harsh words indeed.,Patrick, who is in her first full year as Sprint Cup driver, has seven top-10 finishes in 60 career Nationwide Series races. However, she has yet to finish in the winner's circle.For what it's worth, Petty did admit that he wasn't the best driver himself. It should be noted that it took Petty six years as a full-time Cup driver before he won his first race. Petty finished his NASCAR career with eight wins and 173 top-10 finishes in 829 races.Via USA TODAY

Well Kyle Really? Most of the drivers at the Top level than can fall right into that category. Eric Almirola, Landon Cassill, Timmy Hill, Travis Kvapil, Michael McDowell, Scott Speed, J.J. Yeley just to mention a few are they not Sprint Cup Drivers? She is a driver and only time will tell after all this is her first year in Cup. I get a feeling she is gonna prove you wrong and when she does the apology will be sweet!

Kyle is the only driver in nascar that consistently changed crew chiefs, car manufactures, engine suppliers, team managers, everything but the diver was changed and he blamed every other employee at petty why he could not compete with the top notch drivers. Then when he retired the drivers they put in the cars started running up front consistently. The only thing Kyle does consistently is use the networks to brag about all the Petty's and how they all should be in the hall of famed. Kyle sucks

Kyle is absolutely right.DP is a driver not a racer. She is in nascar only because of the money she brings. Tony Stewart said Jason Leffler was a great racer and yet he gave a lesser driver the ride. Why? Money. Again. Racing is the only sport that doesn't present its best talent.

Wow Kyle talk about stepping neck deep in it. You know yourself if you had not been the the son of the king, you might never got a ride or kept a ride. I respect all you are doing in your son's memory, but you might leave the lame comments up to people who know how to say stupid things, like Rusty Wallace. No, no just kidding and at least he has a championship. So he has the right.

Kyle speaks the truth. Danica is a great qualifier, and even did fairly well in open wheel racing. Considering the level of equipment she has always had available to her in Nascar though, she should be way ahead of where she is. I'm quite confident she'll never win a race, but.... since Nascar is nothing but a huge advertising machine now, she'll continue to be the darling of the media and many of the fans for some time.

Oh Kyle. You mean just like you!? You never really did anything special in your little career, courtesy of your daddy. There are lots of guys that race their tails off every week and do not get the success they hope for.
You are just a bitter old has-been, never-was that just shouldn't be in the press box for Nascar, ESPN, whoever.

These comments coming from a guy whom every week, my friends and I wager just how many cars from last he will be. He is disgracing the Petty name by making ignorant comments like that. I mean fac it, if it were not for his dad's name and the charities he is involved with, no one would probably want to back him. Hey Kyle, class up a bit, will you please?

OK correct me if I am wrong but didn't Kyle Petty finish every race he drove in almost in last place. He was never much of a driver. Far as I remember he was a lousy race car driver who rode on dads coattails!

I am a woman but I agree with Kyle. Way too much peripheral hype around Danica. I think for the most part women would be very proud to see a woman with racing talent and that would keep her clothes on. She is popular for all the wrong reasons as far as racing is concerned. We want someone who can stand on their ability alone in the sport.

I had supported her until I actually saw the photos taken of her by Go Daddy. She lost my support and my respect. DP is a pretty women, but those pictures had NOTHING to do with her ability to drive a vehicle or race. She was selling, in graphic detail her body and looks. If she felt she had driving talent, she should have promoted her driving skills, not Hey Daddy skills.

Danica won an Indy car race in Japan, she placed 4th in the Indy 500 and was the first woman to lead a lap at Indy. Exactly what does a person have to accomplish to be a "race car driver"?
Kyle is just showing what a petty little man he is. Maybe Kyle prefers his women toothless and drunk.

If your name was not Petty, you wouldn't have been in a race car. You were not a good race car driver at all. Your in front of the camera talk is about as lousy as your driving. Women have come a long way in this world we all share, I was against her in NASCAR, now she has shown that she is tough enough to compete. Winning might come, might not, that's racing.

I am a woman, but I agree with Kyle. I just don't see talent in Danica. Yes she can drive, but she doesn't race. Cup cars are alot different than an Indy car. Nascar has benefitted by her advertising but I truly just don't see what all the hype is about. She is lucky to actually finish the race.

I firmly believe that smoke has the right idea. If you can't make money racing, then you go after the marketing and rely on the ignorant press fools to promote your special attraction!!! The gas pedal "D" baby is the one on the right....quit trying to keep from scratching the car and use the stupid thing..ignorant woman!!!!!! Petty did more in his first 3 years than this tart will do her whole career....keep rooting for her you pansies...we otta' throw you junk monkeys out of the track..fools!!!

That's funny that "Boy' Petty said about Danica...Hmmm seems alot like what I've heard about him in the past...Himself, being a "rolling billboard' ...He simply raced ,only because of his father....in fact I think if you put Kyle petty...out there against this Chick, she would slam him... I would say he drove like a girl ..but I wouldn't want to elevate him ,or bring Dana down....
Poor Kyle a least he was good at staying out of the way and letting the real drivers do there thing... I'm not really sure if was because of lack of skill .. or a yellow streak that ran down his glass back !!!
I'm no Danica fan..just a Real NASCAR fan..

This is coming from Kyle petty. i can not believe that he has thehair to say something like that. kyle was one of the worst drivers in nascar history. I think he is crying because he knows that itwill not take much for her to be better than he ever was. And as far as an appology he is not smart enough to appoligize. Kyle can not even comentate. take him off the air. The only way he ever got anywhere in life is because of who his dad was.

The man's right. She's a T&A show and anybody tuned in can see that easily. If it weren't for her marketing pics with her hair blowing in the wind (while in last place I'd imagine) or with her leather jacket unzipped to the waist she'd be another unknown. She's not now nor ever been known for racing. She's a photo-op... a can of Campbell's soup... a bare-butt Coppertone commercial... a no-talent that is known for being "Danica" rather than any demonstration of driving skill. Give me a few hundred Indy races and I'll win a few before she ever would.She'll win if the rest of the field wrecks and she's so far back she can drive around.

Dear Kyle Petty,
Your comments regarding Danica Patrick are laughable......comming from a guy who got into the show based strictly on his fathers accomplishments. Danica has class because she didn't get any special treatment, she may not be the best, but she certainly had to earn a ride....you on the other hand, had everything handed to you on a silver platter by your father.....talk about an entittlement...go eat some Gerbers stewed carrots you bratty baby.

My respect for Kyle Petty just increased 1000%. Danica's tried to make her point of being a woman in a man's sport, but it's over now. Time for her to take up boxing or some other man's sport and see how she does there.

Just looked up his stats....30yrs.of racing 8 wins 8 poles,average finish 23 and u call ur self a racer? And daddy supplied his cash so he could race. And u call ur self a racer.....LOL. I call u a LOSER AND A SILVER SPOONED BRAT.

I'm really not much of a NASCAR fan, just as Kyle Petty was not much of a NASCAR Driver. I remember when I worked (I'm now retired)all the guys gave Jeff Gordon Hell for some reason. After watching for several years now I believe a lot of Drivers would be better off if they had the Class that Jeff Gordon has. This guy is never involved in something like this. Kyle, you might want to take a lesson from Jeff Gordon, like don't let your mouth overload your rear.

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